Raising Hope
by GreenEyedMonster101
Summary: Due to an accident, Vaughn and Chelsea aren't speaking. What can a pregnant mare do for their threatened friendship? Is it possible to mend something that was torn apart this badly? VXC
1. First Step

**Let's try this story again: I had a few things I wanted to redo.**

**Harvest Moon and Characters (c) Natsume  
**

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**The First Step Is Always Hardest**

Seconds turn to minutes which turn to hours which turn to days which turn to weeks which turn to months which turn to years which turn to decades, centuries and millennia. This is the definition of time. Time heals everything: pain being the best case scenario. Does this include the pain off loss? Well of course. It may take years or decades, but time always pulls through in the end.

Chelsea knows this best. She runs a ranch on the Sunshine Island chain. She once lost something very dear to her; her young horse Storm. He had been a two-year old at least; full of energy and life. This life-filled animal was cut down in his prime though. It had been a beautiful summer day; a Friday, very hot and humid on Chelsea's second year of ranch ownership. Storm was normally running around so much that Chelsea could hardly catch him to groom him. But on that particular day, he was standing in one spot with his head hung low. Every now and then, he'd bite his stomach, or attempt to roll.

She knew something was wrong, so Chelsea ran to the local animal shop owned by a plump woman named Mirabelle. Though not an expert, Mirabelle could help ease Chelsea's worries. Or make them worse.

Storm had gotten into the other animal food in the stable that Chelsea fed all of her animals in. She fed her dog, Bandit, and her cat, Piper, in the same building to minimize the time it took to care for animals. She had watched when she first got the three to make sure they ate only their food, but after a while she just gave them their feed and moved on.

Big mistake.

Storm had suffered from a severe colic and had needed to be put down. It was an accident; everyone knew that. Vaughn, the animal trader, had thought otherwise. He saw it as Chelsea's lack of responsibility and suggested that she give up her other animals as a safety precaution. The animals in question included a flock of chickens; ten of them; two young cows and a sheep. Chelsea, in a state of numbness, had agreed without a fight at all. She was allowed to keep her heifer, Bessie, to keep some form of income.

* * *

Even after a year, the animal trader was still sour about the incident. He wasn't one to trust someone who treated animals poorly; let alone someone who lets one die. He had once been friendly towards the young rancher; would've even called her a friend. After the incident, well, he went back into his cold little shell and became quite a grouch; though not saying he wasn't one before.

Even after a year, Chelsea was still quite numb. Her property was in a horrible state and her animals could sense something was wrong. Bandit didn't bother licking her face to make her smile; it didn't work. Piper had stopped purring and rubbing her legs against the rancher; she never took notice. Even Bessie had stopped nudging her affectionately; she simply told the heifer to stop.

* * *

Chelsea wandered the edges of her property in a slight daze. It was summer again; another hot and humid day on the islands. She was getting tired of being numb; she wanted to feel again. She wanted to live on the edge of the world, kiss death on the cheek and run like hell. She wanted to fall in love and have her heart shattered to a million pieces, only to be mended by a new love. She wanted to swim to the Meadow instead of ride the boat driven by Kirk. She wanted to clean up her ranch and grow crops, raise animals and have a family again.

So what was holding her back? Her conscience? Her confidence? No. What held her back was the lack of willpower, lack of respect from those around her. She only talked to people when she needed something. She had stopped being the happy-go-lucky girl everyone looked forward to seeing.

How could she go back after a year? Was it even possible? Chelsea didn't think so. But the first step was in her hands.

No, literally.

She was holding a bag of corn seeds. All she had to do was plant them. With a deep breath; and as much courage as she could handle; she pulled out her hoe from her Mary Poppins rucksack. She made her way over to a bare plot of land and began tilling it to perfection.

As she tilled the soil, her three animals; whom were all lounging around lazily in the heat; looked up at her with piqued curiosity. Their master was working in the field. Usually, she just fed the three and went back in her house. She never did any kind of physical activity. Bandit got to his feet first and slowly made his way to his master; pausing every now and then to verify he wasn't asleep. He sat down next to a rock nearby and sniffed the air.

Chelsea looked up and spotted him. Her eyes had gone back to their original blue sparkle. She was healing, going back to normal. Even though he was a dog, Bandit understood this as a good thing. He rushed up to her whining and barking, jumping up to lick her face. Chelsea managed a small laugh, smiling as Bandit got her nose.

Upon hearing Chelsea's laughter, Piper got up from her sunny spot and stretched, parading over and jumping onto the rock. Bessie went to the edge of her pasture and mooed loudly. With another laugh, she picked Piper up and nuzzled into the soft white fur of the cat. Piper didn't appreciate being lifted too much, but kept the anger to herself as she purred loudly.

Making her way to the pasture, Chelsea put Piper on the fence and picked Bandit up as Bessie nudged her arm.

"You've always been there for me; all three of you. I get it now, I promise. It's time to move on and face the present, not to dwell in the past," she muttered to the three.

The three all looked at their master with curious eyes. Piper tilted her head slightly and blinked twice. Chelsea smiled and looked to the sky.

"I know it took a long time, but I think I'm getting better. I think I can do this, guys," she said turning back to her animals.

They all made their sounds in agreement. Bandit jumped up and put his front paws on Chelsea's leg, barking and wagging his tail. Piper purred and meowed a few times, curling her tail around her delicate paws. Bessie tossed her head around and mooed a few times before settling down.

Chelsea looked back to the sky. Time heals everything; even the pains of death, even the pains of loss. Time can even mend friendship. It may take some time, Chelsea had to admit, but she could do it. She could move forward.

All she needed was to take that first step towards a better way of life.

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**Tell me what you think. Read and Review 3**


	2. Renewal

**Sorry it's been a while. Had no internet where I was staying. But anyway, hope you haven't waited too long.**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume**

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**Friendship Renewed? I Don't Think So...  
**

Chelsea worked hard that day and even into the next day. Bandit kept close to her throughout the work, rejuvenating her laughter at times by chasing grasshoppers away and falling over or tripping over weeds she hadn't gotten to yet. He seemed to know he was being foolish because he would always perk his ears up at her, wag his tail and stick his tongue out of the side of his mouth.

Piper watched Chelsea work from a safe distance. Her owner was still a little depressed and she was wielding an axe; not a good combination for a cat to get involved with. Bessie was grazing in her pasture, but would look up every now and then to make sure Chelsea wasn't harmed.

Further away from the farm, a group of three people were discussing Chelsea as they did every Monday and Tuesday; too bad it was a Sunday. In the animal shop on Verdure Island, the owner, her daughter and the animal trader were in their usual heated argument about the rancher. Mirabelle couldn't understand why Vaughn was so irrational about the incident.

"Vaughn, Chelsea's horse died a year ago now. She hasn't been herself since. Don't you think you're making it worse?" the plump woman asked, glaring slightly at the twenty-three-year old man sitting opposite from her.

He gave her an icy glare right back. "She don't even talk to me anymore. What do I care about her anyway? She's taking good care of that heifer of hers; she don't need more than she can handle."

Julia looked between her mother and Vaughn. With a dejected sigh, she put her head on her propped up hands and waited for the argument to settle down a bit.

"What would you do if that poor girl were to walk through that door right now? Would you blow her off and walk away? Would you even look at her?" Mirabelle pressed.

"Mirabelle; it's Sunday. I ain't supposed to be here. Can we get back to what we _need_ to discuss? We can argue about that woman another time," Vaughn said, rolling his eyes and folding his arms across his chest.

Mirabelle sighed angrily. "Won't even call her by name..." she muttered. She sat down and sighed deeply before looking up at Vaughn a little less annoyed. "So what is it you need?"

Vaughn managed a smirk and unfolded his arms, leaning across the table slightly. "I need a favor."

* * *

Chelsea made her way down to the animal shop after having a quick lunch. It had been a while since she had felt so happy and free and she loved it. She saw Taro standing outside his house and smiled at him. His jaw dropped and he hobbled over to her with the help from his cane.

"Where have you _been_?! You're not supposed to be slacking off! The shipping business doesn't help itself you know!" he scolded her, hitting her on the head with his cane a few times.

She always saw him as a grumpy old grandpa, but she couldn't be mad no matter what happened. "I'm sorry Taro. I've.....Well, I've been in a major slump. But I promise: it's over. I'm back to somewhat normal."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "'Somewhat?'" he quoted.

She nodded. "I haven't made a full recovery just yet, but I think it'll be ok after a few weeks."

He eyed her suspiciously before nodding and letting her go on her way. She waved at Elliot and Natalie whom both waved back confused. She headed to the shop, but stopped in the middle of the walkway.

It was Sunday. That meant Vaughn would not be in the shop. She sighed deeply. Avoiding Vaughn was better on the both of them; he ignored her and gave her very cold looks, only lowering her self-confidence even more.

She walked through the door of the shop and smiled at the familiar cowbell overhead. The smile faded quickly as Mirabelle, Julia and Vaughn appeared. Chelsea's heart rate spiked and her face paled when her eyes met Vaughn's. He was frowning; most common expression on his face; and had his arms crossed. His icy glare was penetrating poor Chelsea and she couldn't close her own eyes to escape.

"It's good to see you Chelsea," Mirabelle said motherly as she got in the middle of the invisible conflict. She hugged the small rancher before pulling her back quickly. "You been eating alright? I can cook you something up if you're hungry."

Chelsea laughed lightly, despite the fear coursing through her. "Nah; I ate before I came down. I'm just going around town to apologize and say that I'm making a comeback. I've been thinking of getting Bessie pregnant again too. Or do you think I oughta wait till after the cow festival?"

The topic changed drastically. Chelsea avoided all of the uncomfortable questions and the two women were soon discussing Bessie and what was best for the ranch. Chelsea all but forgot about Vaughn.

It wasn't easy to forget someone glaring at the back of her head. Not at all.

"So if you buy another calf, raise her some, put Bessie in the festival and get the calf pregnant when she's ready, you have a win-win situation. And Vaughn, if you keep glaring at the poor girl, my foot is gonna be stuck in your ass for a month," Mirabelle said, growling the last part fiercely at Vaughn.

He turned the glare onto Mirabelle. "Remember Mirabelle, you ain't my mother."

The plump woman turned on Vaughn and had a sudden frightening appearance that would have had Vaughn shaking; had he been afraid of such a stance, that is. "I may not be your mother, or any relative of yours, boy. But who was it that raised you as if you _were_, hm? You keep talking to me like I'm only a business partner and we're gonna have some issues."

Vaughn almost winced, but seeing as there was company, he couldn't let down his walls. He tsked angrily and turned away. "Whatever."

Julia hid a giggle behind the back of her hand and walked over to Chelsea. "He can be such a cutie sometimes."

All of the color in Chelsea's face drained out in a flash. Almost all the girls on the island had had a crush on Vaughn at some point.

Natalie had thought he was hot, but never really told anybody because it was 'too girly' for a girl like her to say out loud. She had a thing for the gourmet of the island, Pierre, anyway. Nobody fully understood her interest, making rivals for him non-existent; meaning Natalie didn't have to kill anybody. Lanna thought he was a hunk; until he spoke. Then she thought he was a grouchy butthead and got over him. Sabrina was still in love with him; they talked every now and then in the Café or just outside Sabrina's mansion. Regis didn't approve, but didn't that make the chase more exciting for a daddy's girl? Alisa, the church girl, believed there was a demon following him around and she wanted to cleanse him; therefore not really being a crush, but she _did_ stalk him from time to time.

Julia was around him the most, but never really showed an interest in front of Chelsea. Now that she had, Chelsea was beginning to feel sick. Julia had several qualities in her favor while Chelsea was already on his bad side. If she was going to have a chance at his heart, she'd have to fix things with him.

What a challenge for poor Chelsea.

"Earth to ranch girl!" Julia said waving her hands in front of Chelsea's eyes.

The smaller girl jumped and staggered backwards. She looked at Julia wide-eyed before blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Sorry; I was in my own little world," she said apologetically.

Julia gave her an odd look and shook her head. "I dunno about you Chels. Your little world must be a great place to be if you can just up and leave in the midst of a conversation." Julia turned away frowning, pretending she was angry.

The sheepish blush returned to Chelsea's cheeks. "I was deep in thought, ok? Can't you tell when my head starts smoking?"

Julia gave Chelsea a skeptical glance before cracking and laughing. "Yeah, I guess you're right; your head does combust a little when you think."

Chelsea almost sighed, but managed a smile instead. She didn't need her best friend wondering what was wrong this time.

"Just ask her to help, Vaughn," Mirabelle said softly.

Chelsea looked around, but neither were in her sight. There was a partial wall separating the kitchen and the main shop, so she assumed they were at the kitchen table.

"I told you already; I don't want _her_ help," Vaughn growled.

Julia rolled her eyes and stormed to the other side of the wall. "Stop being such a blockhead and swallow your pride."

Curiosity struck through Chelsea like lightning and she went to follow Julia, but Mirabelle appeared and shook her head. "Don't worry about him right now, dear."

"Hey wait, why is here on a _Sunday_?"

Mirabelle smiled. "He was given a job, so to speak, by his boss and needs your help. But like Julia said, he's being difficult."

"I can hear you, ya know," Vaughn growled. "You ask her without talking it over with me first and I swear I will have Jake cancel our business with you."

Mirabelle swiveled around in the doorway slightly. "Didn't you hear me say to quit talking to me like that? You are just begging for a beating, ain't you?"

It was silent for a moment until Julia giggled lightly. Mirabelle seemed content with Vaughn's reaction; a full wince seeing as Chelsea couldn't see him; and turned back to the small girl. "You'd best get to apologizing to the rest of the town. They _do_ understand why you got all quiet, mind you, so they'll be more relieved than angry."

Chelsea hesitated; due to both fear of the townsfolk reactions and curiosity at what help she may be asked for; but managed a nod. "Then I'll be back afterwards."

Mirabelle smiled. "Don't rush now; we can handle Vaughn while you're gone."

With a final nod, Chelsea slipped out of the shop and took a deep breath. She was going to be saying 'I'm sorry' quite a few times in the next twenty minutes or so.

* * *

Chelsea visited Taro's house first. Having already received her beating from Taro, she wasn't too afraid to receive his lecture. She got a hug from Felicia and a hesitant one from Natalie and Elliot. After she was done there, she visited Pierre, though he was busy cooking and shooed her out. With a shrug, she went to see Luke at the Diner. He was pleased to see one of his best customers again and offered her a free lunch. After politely declining, she headed to Chen and Charlie's. Having been there a few days before, Chen wasn't as surprised as Charlie was. In fact, he launched himself at her vowing not to cry; boys his age don't cry 'cuz it's uncool'. He jumped onto her back for a piggyback ride and she set out to the other side of town.

Sabrina gave her a shy hug while Regis also gave her a scolding. Apparently it was Chelsea's job to ship ore from the mine. Why the mining company owner had to rely on her was bizarre beyond comprehension. Lanna and Denny were fishing at the time, so Chelsea said sorry to them both at the same time. Denny laughed when he saw Charlie on her back, but that was a sign she was getting better fast. Lanna gave her a smile, but was more focused on reeling in her catch to really say anything. Lastly, she visited Gannon and Eliza. The poor blonde girl started bawling when she saw Chelsea. She pounded her fists on Chelsea's hip in anger that she had went to Charlie first. With a laugh, Chelsea promised to play with them in the meadow the next available festival day. Earning a cheer from both, she let Charlie down to play with Eliza and headed back to the shop.

Nobody was around when she walked through the door, the cowbell echoing eerily through the shop. She stepped in a bit cautiously.

"Uh, Mirabelle? Julia? Where are you guys?" she called.

"What, not gonna ask for me?"

She spun around, shocked and surprised to see Vaughn leaning against the wall behind the door. That was something the killer in a scary movie did, though Vaughn _did_ have the frightening features of a Hollywood killer.

"Mirabelle and Julia....stepped out for a bit," he said, walking towards her slowly. The look on his faced frightened Chelsea and she backed away from him, causing him to laugh darkly. "What's this? The little rancher is afraid of me now? Since when did all this occur?"

She was speechless. Vaughn wasn't a bad guy; he was too big a softie for being evil; and Chelsea knew it. But her brain was telling her otherwise. Vaughn continued his slow advance.

"Cat got your tongue now too? You've changed a lot in a year, Chelsea."

It was the first time in a long time that she had heard him say her name and she froze where she was retreating wide-eyed. He was right; she wasn't acting the way she used to. Before, he could never get her to shut up, let alone breathe between sentences. She would also laugh at him when he threatened her or glared at her. But now? She hadn't said a word to him since she saw him and she was backing away from him in absolute terror. What was she, a coward? To hell with that.

She changed her expression to that of disinterest. "You caught me off guard, that's all. I mean, really. Who hides behind doors and has that scary expression? Killers, that's who. And you are not even close to a killer."

She caught him off guard. He frowned slightly, but his eyes shows appreciation. He smirked slightly and turned to the kitchen. "We got things to talk about."

He disappeared and Chelsea followed curiously. He was already sitting in a chair at the table with his feet propped up on the chair next to him. He leaned to the middle of the table and grabbed a toothpick out of a shot glass on the table, twirling it between his fingers. He motioned to the chair across from him when Chelsea hesitated at the doorframe.

"I ain't gonna bite and you know it," he said; not a hint of teasing in his voice.

She rolled her eyes as her stomach fell and sat down. All hopes of renewed friendship went down the tubes at that point. There was a silence as Vaughn weighed his options: ask her for help or get up and leave. One meant a foot up his ass and the other meant swallowing his pride. Deciding that his ass was more precious to him, he sighed deeply and stuck the toothpick in his mouth.

"Let's make this short and sweet, alright? I need your help and you're going to agree," he said as he leaned onto the table, his feet hitting the floor with a loud clunk.

She just stared at him for a moment. She couldn't help it; he was beautiful. His black Stetson always cast a shadow on his face, giving him a mysterious look, but it all went well together. The prominent scowl, the negative frown, the grouchy, bitter attitude and the mysterious shadow; put together it makes a Vaughn. She then shook her head slightly. "Do I get to know what I'm helping you with before I just up and agree?"

He groaned slightly and leaned back, putting his hand over his eyes in irritation. "I said short and sweet, not ask as many questions as you can."

She looked at him puzzled. "I asked one question that I think is a rather important one."

With a deep sigh, he let his hand fall and he straightened up. "Alright, be that way. I was put on foal watch."

"So where do I come into the equation?"

He scowled at her for asking another question. "You have a bigger barn than Mirabelle. This mare has twins on the way and we need a large area for the birthing stall."

"I don't have a large birthing stall; not like I know Mirabelle's got. And twins in a horse is very rare."

"No, ya think?" he asked sarcastically. "Mirabelle's stalls are all taken right now. Besides, your barn is rather empty now, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

She wanted to reach across the table and slap him. It was his fault in the first place that it was empty; demanding she sell her animals. Sure she had agreed, but at the time, she wasn't really in any condition to make such an important decision. "And if I decided to be difficult and say no?"

That icy glare returned to his face. "Then we're gonna be here for a while."

Neither spoke after that. Mirabelle and Julia walked through the door chatting up a storm. They rounded the corner and Mirabelle jumped. "You scared the daylights outta me, kids!"

Neither looked up, nor did they say a word. Julia looked between the two of them and a light flicked on in her head. "These two haven't made up yet, Mama."

They both turned to Julia in a flash with the same angry look. Julia giggled and sat down next to them. Mirabelle sighed from the kitchen. "Did you at least ask her, Vaughn?"

"She's decided to be difficult," he answered, his attention turning to Chelsea.

"I don't remember deciding that actually. I merely asked what would happen _if_ I decided to be difficult. You're the one who's jumping to conclusions," her attention returning to him.

They glared at each other for a bit before Julia giggled again. "I think they might be back to normal soon, Mama. They had petty fights all the time, remember?"

Mirabelle laughed and sat down in the other open chair. "Well how 'bout this, dear. We set up a stall in your barn temporarily. You and Vaughn can keep an eye on the mare until she foals out."

Both Chelsea and Vaughn looked at her, jaws gape. Vaughn slammed his hand on the table. "Now look here, Mirabelle! I may not be allowed to speak to you as if we're just business partners, but don't go around handing my job out to whoever you please! I was asked to watch this mare and I do not trust _her_ with another horse!" he barked, pointing accusingly at Chelsea.

Chelsea's face fell and her gut twisted. She should have known he would say something along the lines of Storm's death. It was inevitable really. She was being asked to house a mare that was expecting. If anything were to happen while she was on the ranch, Vaughn would blame her.

Mirabelle stood with such speed and force that the chair she was in toppled over. "Would you like me to call your boss and let him know you are being irrational about this job? He would _gladly_ hand over the task to me," she said threateningly.

With a dark glare, Vaughn crossed his arms and looked away. He didn't say a word knowing he really couldn't say _anything_ that would make the situation any better. With one last, angry look at Vaughn, Mirabelle righted the chair and sat back down. She turned to Chelsea; whom was still wearing a sad expression; and smiled.

"So what do you think, dear? Will my plan be alright for you?"

Chelsea looked up with a forced smile. "Yeah, but I'll need some help making the stalls I have a bit bigger."

Mirabelle stood up again, this time much slower and happier. "Well of course you do. Come on kids; let's go get that barn ready for an expecting mother."

* * *

**Let me know what you think. And yeah, I got rid of the accents; it was annoying to write them.**


	3. Project

**Sorry it took so long...I've had a few things happen recently, so I haven't been in a HM writing mood. EDIT: Wow, I found a few grammatical errors. Call me OCD; I am.  
**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

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**Project Build A Stall**

The group relocated itself to Chelsea's farm. Upon arrival, Bandit started running towards them, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his tail wagging like crazy. Julia knelt slightly expecting him to leap into her arms, but he ran right past her to Vaughn. Julia scowled at Vaughn, but turned when her mother put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. Mirabelle shook her head and the two headed to the barn. Chelsea looked after them confused and turned to Vaughn.

"He seems to like you. After what happened with Bullet, he wanted nothing to do with you; even growled if you got too close," she said kneeling down next to Bandit.

Vaughn knelt down as well and let Bandit lick his gloved hand. When Bandit tried to lick his face, he sternly said no and Bandit didn't try again. "I have a way with animals, Chelsea. You know that."

She scowled at him and sighed, getting to her feet. "C'mon Bandit. We've got work to do."

The small brown dog barked and dashed towards the barn after Mirabelle and Julia. Chelsea started the short trek to the barn with Vaughn following. When she got inside, she saw that the other women were by the birthing pen in a discussion. Vaughn walked past Chelsea as she stopped in the doorway. She wondered silently if she could ever get things back to the way they used to be with Vaughn and Julia. They used to be the three amigos, the three musketeers if you will, of the island. Whenever Vaughn was on the island, he and the two girls would go for walks or tend to the animals together. He had even taught Chelsea how to ride Storm.

She shook her head and walked over, taking in the conversation as she did.

"We'll need a lot of lumber for this. Gannon may be able to help; seeing as it's only temporary, he may even let us use the lumber free of charge," Mirabelle said.

Chelsea half-smiled and walked over to the corner of the barn. "No need, Mirabelle." She motioned the others over and pulled out a large bin of lumber.

Mirabelle put her hand on Chelsea's shoulder. "You've had this all saved up? Why didn't you keep it in your bin?"

Chelsea shrugged. "You never know when a storm is gonna tear up parts of the barn. I add to this every couple of weeks, just to be safe. The lumber in the bin is for new buildings and upgrades, but this is all for repair."

Mirabelle clapped her hands together. "You're very prepared, Chelsea. You'll be an amazing rancher soon enough."

Chelsea's heart fell slightly, but she didn't let it show. With Vaughn's unspoken help, the birthing pen was built. It was twelve feet by twenty-four in the end and it was well built. The posts were about a foot and a half apart with large pieces of plywood on the inside of the stall to make the walls. There were two-by-fours a foot off of the ground connecting the posts together. They were to be the steps to be able to see over the walls in case the foals were born. Vaughn built a gate in the middle of the fence that could be opened easily and latched for security. It took almost two hours to build.

"You kids did a good job," Mirabelle said as she handed Vaughn and Chelsea each a glass of fresh orange juice. "All that needs to be done now is bed it down."

"I'm already on it Mama!" Julia called from outside. She came into the barn with a wheelbarrow stacked with bales of straw. "There's a few more I need to get, but Chels and I can bed it down while you and Vaughn go get the mare."

Chelsea finished her drink and handed the glass back to Mirabelle. "Guess that's my cue," she said with a smile.

Julia unloaded the three bales she had from the wheelbarrow and went to get more. After Vaughn and Mirabelle left, Chelsea pulled out a small knife and cut all the baling twine, making sure to get rid of it properly. Another colic case on the ranch would just spell more disaster for her. Julia appeared not long after and the two girls started spreading out the flakes.

Julia found it to be much too quiet and she threw a flake of the straw at the back of Chelsea's head. The latter girl turned around with a scowl, but Julia had already turned her back. In revenge, Chelsea grabbed two flakes and rushed over to Julia. She shook them together over Julia's head, covering her in straw. Julia took them away from Chelsea with a squeal and shook them over the smaller girl's head. Bedding the stall was turned into a straw war, laughing and squealing as the girls threw straw at each other. Within a few minutes, the straw was all spread out evenly, though the girls had straw sticking out of their hair and some in their clothes.

"Should we bale around the edges or do you think this is ok?" Chelsea asked. She had never housed a pregnant mare; nor really taken care of one before; so she was just asking.

Julia gave Chelsea an odd look; one that said she was thinking. As she went to respond, someone cleared their throat by the barn door. The girls turned and saw Vaughn in the doorway, a very fat horse cautiously snorting to his right. As he led the mare inside, she stepped cautiously, looking around nervously. Her whole body was shaking.

"The stall's just fine. Don't worry about the walls, just open the gate," Vaughn said as he coaxed her closer to the stall.

Chelsea held the gate open for Vaughn. He turned so that he was backing into the stall and clicked his tongue as he backed up slowly. At first, the mare was reluctant to go in. She got right beside the gate and put her head down, sniffing at the straw and snorting slightly. Vaughn clicked his tongue a few more times, tugging gently on the lead and the mare walked in. Chelsea shut the gate, but didn't latch it. Once Vaughn had taken the lead off of the mare's halter, he walked over and opened the gate, latching it shut behind him. The mare snorted at the straw a little before pawing at it. She walked in a semi-circle and did the same again. Going over to Chelsea's hay supply, Vaughn grabbed three flakes and put them in the stall. The mare jumped slightly, but went right over and started munching on it.

The two girls watched the mare while standing on the two-by-fours, but Vaughn merely stood with his feet on the ground. He was tall enough to see over the makeshift wall. Julia sighed deeply and turned to Vaughn and Chelsea.

"I hope the twins are ok," she said. "I hope they both make it too."

Chelsea nodded in agreement, but didn't turn away from the mare. "What's the likelihood that one won't make it?"

The barn fell silent other than the mare's munching. Not even a cicada sounded outside. Chelsea turned and saw Julia looking at the mare sadly. Vaughn was looking straight ahead.

Embarrassed, Chelsea turned back, her cheeks flushed slightly. "Sorry...I didn't mean anything by it really..."

"Ten-thousand to one." Vaughn's tone startled Chelsea. "There is a very small chance that both foals will survive."

Chelsea felt a lump form in her throat. She had unintentionally brought about another disaster. The odds were very against these unborn foals; the possibility of a stillborn was high. She didn't want to think about it and she shook her head.

"I'm going to change that," Vaughn muttered. Chelsea looked over in surprise. "Both of those foals are going to get on that boat back to the city after they are born. I'll make sure of it."

Chelsea turned back, smiling slightly. Vaughn had always cared about animals; size or breed didn't matter. He didn't like to see an animal die or suffer, much like Chelsea herself. She shook the thought from her head as the mare lied down with a sigh.

"She seems happy," Chelsea said with a smile. "Your company must take very good care of each individual animal."

Vaughn glanced at her. "Of course we do. No animal gets sold unless the owner has met the qualifications of the company. The animal also can't leave unless it is in pristine condition. That way, we can go and check up on the animal to monitor its overall health."

Chelsea looked at him in awe. "Your job must be tough. You have to keep an eye on every animal you ever sell?"

He scoffed and turned so he was facing the mare. "Don't be stupid. We monitor the animal for six months. If their health doesn't deteriorate any, then we stop monitoring. If the owner isn't taking good care of the animal, we take it back."

Chelsea sighed. She didn't like being called stupid. "At least you like your job. That's always a good thing."

"If I didn't like it, I wouldn't be doing it," he said harshly.

Chelsea flinched and fell silent. Julia gave her a sympathetic look before getting off of the wall. She started towards the door, but paused before she got there.

"I'm going back to the store, Vaughn. If you need anything just come down," she said.

He held his hand up to let her know he heard and as a goodbye gesture. She sighed quietly and walked out. As she got into the sunlight, she shielded her eyes and looked up towards the sun.

"Should I be leaving them alone? Or should I go back and chaperone?" she muttered quietly. The sun merely shone down on her, not answering her questions. With a sigh, she headed back. "They're adults now. I shouldn't have to play mommy anymore."

* * *

**I know it's short, but it does what I want it to. R & R?**


	4. Delivery

**Sorry about the lack of updating, readers. I've had a very bad few weeks mixed with writer's block. This chapter is long and I warn you now: there is a cliffhanger.**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume - my favorite company ever!**

* * *

**Special Delivery for River Ranch!**

That night was awkward for Chelsea. She and Vaughn had decided that sleeping in the barn would be the most intelligent thing to do. But she only had one futon. She knew they would be sleeping in shifts, but the one who was awake would sit next to the one who was asleep.

Chelsea wouldn't be able to sleep with Vaughn so close to her.

"Alright, listen up," Vaughn said, snapping her out of her little daze. She looked up at him, though his back was to her. "You've never birthed a foal, have you?"

She shook her head, forgetting momentarily that he wasn't facing her. He turned and raised his eyebrows irritably. Her face tinted red and she looked down. "No, never."

He sighed irritably and turned away again. "Didn't think so. Should I explain it or not?"

She stood up from the futon and walked over to the stall, hopping up on the footing. The mare was lying down nibbling at her hay. "Up to you, I suppose. It'd be nice to know what signs I'm looking for so I don't wake you up when nothing's happening."

He eyed her, feeling impressed by her. He walked up next to her and leaned his back on the wall. "You've watched your cow give birth haven't you?"

Chelsea fidgeted slightly. "Well, no. You and Mirabelle always shooed me out, remember?"

He looked at her wide-eyed. "No, I don't remember that."

She nodded, glancing at him slightly. "The first time Bessie had a calf, I went running down to the shop in a panic."

He turned away and stared at the ground, trying to remember. A light went on in his head and he turned back. "Yeah, and by the time we got there, the calf was already on the ground."

Chelsea shook her head. "That was the second one. The first was a breach birth and you had to pull her out."

He scowled at her; not in anger, but frustration. Then he remembered. "Oh yeah, you were in tears because you thought I was hurting her."

Chelsea scowled back at him before turning away. "Well of course. She was screaming bloody murder."

He smirked, holding back a chuckle. "You remember the signs though, right? Well, it's all the same in a horse. This mare ate her dinner readily, so I don't think she'll foal out tonight."

She nodded, placing her head on her folded arms. A few minutes of silence followed as she watched the mare nibble on her hay. She then turned her head to the side. "Hey Vaughn?"

He looked over and raised his eyebrows. "Hm?"

"What's her name?"

His mouth twitched as he fought a smile. She was looking at him in such a curious manner that memories of the old times flooded back into his head. He turned away slightly, tilting his head down to hide his eyes. "Her name is Lilac Starlight."

She turned back to the mare, blinked a few times and then back to Vaughn. "And the sire?"

He looked at her in confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"The foals are gonna need names, aren't they?" she asked. He looked at her in shock. "Don't they usually name the foals after the dam and sire?" (***A/N***)

"H-How do you know that?" he asked, stammering slightly.

She turned and smiled at him. "I've been at Regis' all day today and he has some equine books. None on foaling though."

To say Vaughn was impressed would be an understatement. He was very pleased that she was so focused on the foals and that she cared enough to name them before they were born.

He turned so he was watching the mare as well. "His name was Beaming Abyss."

"Was? D-Did he die?"

Vaughn nodded. "This mare was a rescue."

Chelsea could tell by his tone that it wasn't something to ask about, but she was curious. Instead, she focused her thoughts on names for the foals. After another ten minutes, Vaughn poked her on the shoulder. She had fallen asleep with her head on her arms.

"Go on and get some rest. I'll take first shift."

With a nod, Chelsea made her way to the futon and kicked off her boots. She fell asleep quickly, snuggled under a warm comforter from the house.

* * *

When Chelsea woke up, it was dawn. Vaughn was still standing by the stall watching the mare. Chelsea shot up and slipped into her boots. She then glared at Vaughn as she walked towards the barn doors.

"You could have woken me up you know," she growled.

He shrugged, but she didn't see. "You were sleeping peacefully."

In deep annoyance, Chelsea got to work on the ranch. She brushed, milked and coddled Bessie, watered and weeded the crops, played with Bandit and stroked Piper. Around ten o'clock, she headed to the house and made a few sandwiches for her and Vaughn. She brought them on a plate back to the barn.

"I made you-" she began.

She stopped when she saw that Vaughn was sitting on the futon with his hat over his face, his feet crossed and his arms over his chest. He was breathing slowly, snoring gently. With a smile, she put the plate down next to him, grabbed her own sandwich and watched the mare.

While Vaughn slept, Chelsea made her way to the main island and asked Taro about the weather. Having been a farmer in the past, the old man was insightful when it came to the weather. He was better than most weathermen in the city.

"Well Chelly, it will start raining tonight," he said looking up at the sky, "I'd say around six-thirty, but it may not hit here until eight."

She giggled at the nickname. Her own grandfather used to call her that. "Alright, thanks Taro. I'll make sure to put the beasts inside tonight then." She turned to leave, waving slightly at him.

"How goes the mare?" he asked, making her stop in her tracks.

"You know about that?"

He smirked slightly, looking foolish as he did. "M'dear, we live in a very close community. Not much goes unheard by these cunning ears," he said, pointing to his head with his cane.

Chelsea giggled again before sighing. "Well, she's comfortable for the time being. Vaughn and I have been keeping a close eye on her."

Taro waved his cane at her warningly. "Don't let that boy get his hands on you, missy. I know what goes through kids' minds when they sleep under the same roof."

She stepped back and put her arms out defensively. "You've got it _all_ wrong, Taro! Nothing is going on between us, nothing at all!"

He eyed her suspiciously. "No matter, tell the boy to keep his hands to himself."

Chelsea quickly retreated, not wanting to receive any worse lectures from the old man. It was almost three o'clock and she had to convince Bessie to get into the barn. With a deep sigh, she trudged to the ranch, not looking forward to shoving the large cow.

It was almost four-thirty when Bessie finally trotted through the barn door. A convenient roll of thunder frightened the poor cow. Chelsea wound up face first on the ground and she never really enjoyed the taste of dirt. A scoff from above made her look up. Vaughn was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a very annoyed look on his face.

"Got what you deserved. Shouldn't you use the bell you bought from the Barn not long ago?"

She got up and brushed off. "That's no fun. Pushing her is a better workout."

He rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "What a waste of money then..."

She rolled her eyes and pulled a gate across the barn doorway. She had made it after she had the barn built. It would be a nice summer night, despite the rain, so she was going to keep the door open.

* * *

Around eight, Chelsea made dinner. Vaughn was back, complaining that he didn't get any work done because of her neglecting to wake him up at noon. So after the pair ate, they sat on the futon together in silence, watching Bandit attempt to get on Bessie's back and listening to the rain hit the roof gently. Taro's prediction was right on target; Chelsea wasn't surprised.

Chelsea fiddled with her fingers and turned to Vaughn slightly. "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but what happened to this mare? Why was she rescued?"

Vaughn tensed up and turned away. "This whole incident wasn't an accident."

She tilted her head in confusion, but stayed quiet. He turned back and looked straight ahead.

"She was one of six mares to get tested on. This farm wanted to see if they could artificially force a mare to have twins. The owners had a surgery done on all of the mares to remove a few follicles from them and performed some laboratory work." He paused and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "The mares were given a year off before the owners attempted insemination. They collected from a stallion, mixed the sperm and the egg and then inseminated the mares. After a few weeks, the mares were showing signs of pregnancy." He glanced at Chelsea, but she was staring straight ahead, her face emotionless. "The city SPCA received a call about six months after all of that by one of the neighbors. They got a warrant to seize all the animals on the property, but unfortunately none of the other mares survived."

At this point, tears were rolling down Chelsea's cheeks. Vaughn noticed, but said nothing about it. He cleared his throat and continued.

"A few months ago, the SPCA sent this mare to the company, hoping we could sell her to a nice farm for her to foal at. But nobody wanted her, so my boss asked me to watch over her."

Chelsea wiped the tears from her eyes and managed a weak smile. "Well at least she has a decent chance here. And the foals will get looked after once they get outta here too."

She turned away again as fresh tears sprung from her eyes. Who was she kidding? The odds were against these foals _and_ the mare. She wanted to look on the bright side, but it slowly became dimmer and dimmer, growing darker and more threatening by the second. She didn't want to think too much on it, but within a few days she would have three dead horses on her property.

The Harvest Goddess did not seem to have forgiveness written in Chelsea's future.

* * *

Chelsea had fallen asleep at some point; she couldn't remember when; but she was woken up by Vaughn shaking her gently. He covered her mouth and put his finger to his lips as her eyes fluttered open. He had a warm glint in his eyes as he walked toward the stall. Rain was pounding on the roof of the barn, but the noises from the stall drowned it all out. The mare was groaning loudly, sighing heavily every now and again. Chelsea, eager to see what was happening, shot off the futon and joined Vaughn.

The mare was on her side and straining as she birthed the first foal. It was already almost all the way out; just had to get past the hips. Vaughn had gone in and cut the amniotic sac just to be safe, but had gotten out afterwards. Chelsea's face erupted into a grin as the foal was pushed out with one final shove. She went to go into the stall, but Vaughn stopped her with his arm. She looked up at him, but he shook his head smiling.

"We'll help if we have to," he said in a low tone.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing, the mare started straining again. In alarm, Vaughn jumped over the stall wall. Having a second foal be born on top of the first would be very bad. He quickly cut the umbilical cord of the first foal and picked him up, carrying him to the mare's head. He then dashed to the mare's rear end and quickly cut the amniotic sac as close to her tail as he could. He then stepped back, almost startled to find Chelsea at his side. She grabbed his arm, worried and anxious, but he patted her hand reassuringly.

Within a few minutes, the second foal was born, though it was much smaller than the first. Chelsea went to intervene again, but Vaughn pulled her back. The mare caught her breath and started sniffing the first foal. She quickly rolled to her side; frightening Chelsea about the second foal's safety; and started nickering at the foal. The little colt leaned his little nose out to her and gave a little nicker of his own. Chelsea smiled warmly, but it faded quickly when the mare got to her feet. The umbilical cord of the second foal was broken and Chelsea tried to rush to it. Vaughn held her back, almost laughing.

"Relax, Chelsea. It's normal, relax," he said soothingly.

It didn't help much, but Chelsea stopped struggling. The mare licked and nudged the first foal, encouraging him to get to his feet. After about ten minutes, the little guy started struggling. With a smile, Chelsea turned to the second foal. The little foal was still where the mother had left it.

And it wasn't moving.

* * *

**Sorry if you don't like the cliffy.**

***Author Note: Well I don't know if this is true with Quarter Horses, but it is with most Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, so I just assumed***


	5. PanicRelief

**I know it's been a while since an update, but I've been thinking...Do I write better in first person or third person? You don't have to answer, that's just my excuse =)**

**Harvest Moon (c) Natsume  
**

* * *

**Panic and Relief**

Chelsea's face paled in a flash. She looked up at Vaughn; who was watching the colt and mare; with a horrified look. He caught it out of the corner of his eye and looked at her. She quickly turned back to the second foal in a panic. She couldn't move; she was frozen. Vaughn, however, jumped into action. He rushed over without a second thought and immediately tore open the amniotic sac. He lifted the small foal and turned to Chelsea.

"Grab the kit that's by the gate," he said, his voice even despite the fact that he was fighting a panic inside.

Though she didn't know of any kit, Chelsea quickly opened the gate and found a small container just outside the gate. After latching it shut, she quickly went over to Vaughn, stepping back slightly so she wasn't in the way. Working quickly, Vaughn wrapped a towel around the tiny foal and handed it to Chelsea.

"Rub her quickly, but try not to put too much pressure on her ribs," he instructed, grabbing a bulb syringe.

She did as told, rubbing the foal quickly. Her emotions were numbed, but were prevalent. Tears were streaming down her face. Vaughn was too preoccupied with the foal to worry about Chelsea. He inserted the syringe in the foal's nose, trying to clear her nasal passage. After a few suctions, he flipped up her upper lip. Her gums were a normal pink hue and he almost sighed. He put the bulb back and held out his hands.

"Give her to me," he said. His tone was cold and harsh, but he had a foal he had to save.

Chelsea obliged without a thought and handed the foal to him. He quickly walked over to the gate and opened it up, the foal tucked under his arm protectively. Chelsea got up quickly and grabbed the kit, following him out. He walked over to a bale of hay and placed the foal on top of it. He maneuvered her so that her head was hanging down.

"Come on, come on," he muttered impatiently. He started rubbing her back vigorously, hoping to stimulate the lungs.

She coughed after a few seconds and her eyes fluttered open. Chelsea smiled and she covered her mouth. Vaughn knew the fight was far from over. He quickly picked up the filly and went back to the stall.

"She has to drink the colostrum," he said.

Chelsea followed him quickly, trying to catch up. "The what?"

"Just help me get this foal nursing," he snapped. He wasn't trying to be mean and luckily Chelsea knew that.

When the pair got close to the mare with the foal, she swished her tail and pinned her ears back. She turned slightly, kicked at them and put herself between the colt and them. The colt got to its feet with ease and peeked underneath the mare to see what was happening. Vaughn sighed deeply and put the filly on the ground. The mare's ears perked up slightly and she sniffed towards the filly. Within a flash, her ears were back again and she squealed in anger. Vaughn quickly grabbed the filly and put some distance between the mare and the filly.

"Dammit, she won't let us close," he muttered furiously.

Chelsea suddenly got an idea. It was crazy and could probably end up with her dead, but it was for this little filly. She went over to Vaughn and took the filly. He protested, but she turned and gave him a threatening look. Though he didn't know what she was up to, he let her go. She walked in a circle around the mare and settled a few feet from the colt. The mare swished her tail and had one ear pinned in her direction and one in Vaughn's.

The colt became very curious and walked over cautiously. The little filly nickered softly and the colt nickered back. He knew she was family, but he didn't understand why she wasn't walking. The colt got closer and closer, the mare turning to watch. A few more steps and the colt was in Chelsea's reach. She quickly wrapped her other arm around the colt. He struggled a little, but didn't make a sound. The mare got angered and turned, ready to charge. Chelsea got to her knees and made her way to the mare. Her ears perked forward and she sniffed the colt, nickering. The colt answered her nicker with his own and nuzzled her gently. The mare seemed to relax and Chelsea slowly made her way closer to the mare's side. As quickly as she could, she stood slightly, keeping the colt between her legs. She then let the towel around the filly drop and she cradled her. Chelsea guided her head to the mare's teat and hoped for the best. Within a few moments, the filly was nursing, suckling loudly. The mare turned slightly, but all she saw was the colt and Chelsea; she couldn't see the filly.

After a few minutes, the filly was finished and Chelsea backed away, letting the colt go. She then grabbed the towel, wrapped the filly in it again and made her way back to Vaughn. He was looking at her wide-eyed and his face was paler than usual.

He took the filly from her. "That was very dangerous," he said sternly.

"I know," she said as she wiped her eyes. "I wasn't even sure it was gonna work."

He shook his head and looked down at the filly as he walked out of the stall with Chelsea. She was small; only the size of an adult beagle; and weighed about fifty pounds. The colt was closer to ninety pounds. There was obvious discrimination between the siblings.

With a deep sigh, Vaughn took the filly over to the futon and sat down with her on his lap. He knew it would be a long night; a foal needed to nurse about twice an hour. The problem was getting the mare to _let_ her nurse that often.

Chelsea seemed to be reading his mind. "Would Bessie's milk do?"

He looked up at her deep in thought. She waited patiently for a response and he sighed again, looking down at his bundle. "Worth a shot."

She smiled weakly, latched the gate to the stall and quickly jumped over the gate in front of the barn door. She then ran out into the rainy night with Bandit at her heels. She threw open the front door of her house, already soaked to the bone, and raced to her fridge. She quickly pulled out the eight bottles of milk she had stored from previous milkings and then raced back out into the night, shutting the door behind her. She got back into the barn, dripping wet and shivering, and made her way to the foal kit. She grabbed the bottle that was inside and took off the nipple with her teeth. With shaking hands, she poured the milk into the bottle. None sloshed over the sides miraculously and she managed to get the nipple back on the bottle with ease.

She put the top back on the milk bottle and handed the bottle to Vaughn. "Here, give it a go."

He took it from her and pressed the nipple to the filly's lips. The greedy little thing snatched the tip and started suckling like there was no tomorrow. Chelsea managed a smile before her teeth started chattering and the shivers shook her entire body. Vaughn looked up in concern and stood up.

"Grab the blanket and wrap it around yourself. It will-" he froze as he saw what she was doing.

Chelsea was pulling off her red jacket and her yellow shirt that was underneath. She was wearing a black tank top underneath and she quickly tossed the two articles of clothing over a feed bin. She then grabbed the blanket from the futon and covered herself in it, sitting down on the cushion. Bandit jumped to her lap shaking as well and she quickly dried him off.

Vaughn, snapping out of his daze, sat back down beside her, feeding the filly. Chelsea pulled off her boots and tossed them aside, socks following suit. After that, she pulled her legs onto the futon and sat on them slightly. She was still shaking and quickly adjusted herself so the blanket was covering her fully, except for her head. She shuddered and exhaled loudly causing Bandit to jump down from her lap. He trudged over to Bessie grumbling and rubbed up against her. She didn't appreciate the small, wet dog drying himself on her, so she snorted at him. He yelped and dashed back over to the futon, ducking behind Vaughn's legs. Chelsea giggled lightly.

"Bandit, don't make so much noise," she muttered, her teeth chattering slightly.

Vaughn smiled slightly; tilting his head down just enough so Chelsea wouldn't be able to see it. He took the bottle from the filly, placed it on the ground near him and got to his feet. He then turned to Chelsea.

"Are you gonna be able to help me in a minute?" he asked.

She scowled at him slightly. "I'm kind of dripping wet right now, so no."

He scoffed, but was smirking. "It's the middle of the summer; you can't be that cold."

She glared at him and tossed the blanket off, shivering just a bit. "Fine. You want to be an ass and make me catch a cold, so be it. What do you want help with?"

His smirk widened slightly before fading again. He knelt down and placed the filly on the ground. "I want to get her walking before her next meal."

He let go of the filly and took a few steps back. She started crying and struggled to get to her feet. She was weak, but determined. She managed to convince her back feet to stable themselves on the ground. After a few minutes, she was standing. She wobbled severely, but she was standing. A grin erupted on Chelsea's face, but it quickly faded as the filly lost her footing. She hit the dirt floor of the barn with a soft thud and a grunt. Chelsea had a thought to step forward and help her back up, but one look at Vaughn's face told her to stay put. The filly got to her feet again, grunting a little with the effort. She stabilized herself and took a shaky step forward. She stumbled slightly and splayed her feet out to catch herself. After a few frightened breaths, the filly started forward again. Within a few steps, she was in front of Vaughn. Chelsea grinned happily, forgetting momentarily that she was wet.

Vaughn put his arms around the filly's stomach and hoisted her off the ground. He then turned her so she was facing Chelsea and pushed his fist onto her flank gently. Chelsea scowled at him in confusion and he chuckled lightly.

"The mare does this when she wants the foal to move a certain way," he explained as he pushed the filly forward. "I want her to walk to you now."

Chelsea smiled slightly and squatted down. The filly perked her ears towards the movement and snorted cautiously. She turned and looked up at Vaughn, as if asking him permission. Vaughn nodded slightly and pushed forward more. The filly took a few shaky steps forward and paused, snorting at Chelsea and looking back at Vaughn. She then squealed with delight and took the last few feet in a single excited bound. She lost her footing, but Chelsea caught her with a smile.

"Easy there, little filly. You'll hurt yourself if you're that reckless," Chelsea said, standing up with the filly before placing her back on the ground.

"You're one to talk."

Chelsea looked up at Vaughn shocked. He had a playful smirk on his lips and his head tilted slightly. Seeing this posture brought a surge of memories into Chelsea's mind and she almost fell over from the nostalgia. She remembered her and Vaughn sitting on the dock her first summer. The two were laughing because Chelsea had caught yet another can instead of a fish. She had dumped the water from the can over Vaughn and he had gotten his revenge by shoving her off the dock into the water.

"Earth to Chelsea."

She came back from memory lane and saw the filly standing beside Vaughn. She was partially behind him, as if he was her father, and was staring up at Chelsea with beautiful blue eyes. Chelsea smiled and squatted again. The filly looked up at Vaughn who nodded. The filly pranced towards Chelsea squealing slightly. Chelsea smiled, rubbed the filly's ears and stood up, walking to the stall gate.

The colt was nursing, swishing his brown tail in delight. The mare was munching on her hay, but snorted warningly at Chelsea when she looked up. The colt turned to see the commotion and gazed at Chelsea curiously.

"Vaughn, why do the foals look so different? The filly is white, but the colt is brown," she said in slight confusion.

Vaughn chuckled slightly and walked over, the filly in his arms. "Genetics. The sire was a grey stallion while the mare is a bay."

"Bay? But she's brown..."

He chuckled again and turned slightly. "You see how her legs are black, but her body is a brown color? That's what classifies a horse as a bay. A brown horse would be all brown; brown tail and mane. The filly is also classified as a grey, not a white horse."

Chelsea turned and gave him a puzzled look. "You'll need to explain that one too."

"I thought you said you read up on horses at Regis' house?" he asked, raising an accusing eyebrow.

She blushed slightly. "I didn't go cover to cover with it. I just skimmed through looking for foaling information." She then looked over at the colt. "Comet's Abyss..."

"What?" Vaughn asked; his mouth twitching as he fought a smile.

"Comet's Abyss. Isn't that a good name for the colt?" She then looked at the filly in Vaughn's arms. "And hers should be Starfield Beam."

He snorted slightly and shook his head. "I figured you'd start calling her 'Hope' or 'Miracle'."

She looked away sadly. "I was actually...But I thought you might say that, so I kept it to myself."

Vaughn mentally kicked himself. He hadn't meant for it to be an insult, more or less he was teasing her. To hear her take it in such a literal way made him realize that the old Chelsea was far from being restored to her former glory.

Chelsea yawned widely and trudged over to the futon. She covered her mouth slightly and turned to Vaughn. "How often does she need to eat?"

He held back a smirk. "About eight times an hour."

She groaned and fell onto the futon. It was then that Vaughn's smirk broke through. "That's about every seven minutes!"

"Yeah, very good. We'll take turns until she falls asleep, alright? I'll take the first hour; then she's all yours."

Chelsea nodded and curled up into a ball. Before long, she was asleep. Vaughn sat down beside her, keeping the foal cradled against him. She nibbled on his sleeve with her milk teeth, and he chuckled.

"Starfield Beam, huh?" he questioned glancing at Chelsea's sleeping figure. "I think I prefer Hope to that name."

The filly let go of his sleeve and looked up at him intently. He smiled again and patted her small head with his big hand.

"What do you think? Hope or Starfield Beam?"

She tilted her head to the side and blinked a few times. Vaughn simply shook his head and leaned back slightly.

"Yeah, I know you don't really care," he said, stifling a yawn. "It's just a name anyway."

* * *

Vaughn and Chelsea alternated feedings until about four that morning. By then, the filly had fallen asleep between the two. Chelsea yawned deeply and Vaughn tilted his hat over his eyes.

"Should one of us stay awake in case she wakes up?" she asked him.

"Nah, she'll sleep for a while. She's probably all worn out."

Chelsea nodded and went to say something, but she yawned again. She shook her head and gave up with what she was going to say and lied down on the futon behind the filly. Her head was touching Vaughn's side, but he didn't say anything. Before long, both were asleep, neither looking forward to the morning light that would shine brightly into the barn and wake them much earlier than they wish to be up.

* * *

**R&R**


End file.
